Leoluca: Difference between revisions

Saint

Leoluca
Saint; Leoluca
	Votive image of St. Leoluca
Abbot
Born	c. 815; Corleone, Sicily
Died	c. 915
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church; Eastern Orthodox Church
Major shrine	San Leoluca Church, Corleone
Feast	1 March
Patronage	Corleone, Sicily;; Vibo Valentia, Calabria

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Leoluca, also Leone Luca, Leo Luke of Corleone, Saint Leoluca, or Luke of Sicily^[1] (c. 815 – c. 915)^[2] was the abbot and wonderworker of the monastery of Mount Mula in Calabria,^{[note 1]} and a founder of Italo-Greek monasticism in southern Italy.^{[note 2]} He is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

Born in the Sicilian town of Corleone, he died about a hundred years later, after eighty years of monastic life,^{[note 3]} in Monteleone Calabro, now Vibo Valentia in Calabria. Today he is a patron saint of both towns, and his feast day is celebrated on 1 March.

In 2006 Leoluca's relics were found in the municipality of San Gregorio d'Ippona, about 2 km southeast of the city of Vibo Valentia.^[8]

Hagiographic sources

The text of the Life of Leo Luke of Corleone was published in 1657 in the Sicilian martyrology of Jesuit Ottavio Gaetani ("Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum").^[9]^{[note 4]} He was said to have derived it from three manuscripts discovered in Sicily: one from Palermo, another from Mazara and a third from Corleone.^[10]

Later, the Bollandists published another Life, in Latin,^[11] found in the library of Joseph Acosta.^[10]

None of the Latin manuscripts of the hagiography of Leo Luke refer to an original Greek source. However the presence of Greek anthroponyms (such as Leone, Teotiste, Christopher, Teodoro, Eutimio) may postulate an original source in Greek. The hagiography was likely composed immediately after the death of Leoluca in Calabria, but may have been passed down orally and then in writing at a later date and in another place.^[10]^{[note 5]}

Leben

In Sicily

Leoluca was born in Corleone, Sicily in the 9th century AD (c.815 to 818 AD),^[13] on the eve of the Saracen invasion of Sicily.^{[note 6]} His parents Leo and Theoktiste baptized him Leo, in honour of his father. They were a pious and wealthy family who raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.^[1] He was orphaned at an early age when his parents died, and devoted himself to managing the estate and supervising the herds as a shepherd. In the solitude of the fields he realized that he had a call to religious life, so he sold the estate, gave the money to the poor, and went to the monastery of St. Philip in Agira, in the province of Enna, Sicily.^[1]

It is not known how long he stayed at the monastery at Agira, but due to the raids of the Saracens, he left from there and went to Calabria.^[14]^{[note 7]} Before going to Calabria however, he made a special point of going on pilgrimage to visit the tombs of Saint Peter and Paul the Apostle in Rome.^[15]^{[note 8]}

In Calabria

In Calabria, he went to the Monastery of Mula, at Mount Mula (Monte La Mula ), one of the highest peaks of the Orsomarso mountains (1935 m). Here he became a monk, excelling in the virtues and in obedience, remaining there for six years.^[1]

Afterwards he departed together with the Hegumen of the monastery Christopher, and they made their way to the mountainous region of Merkourion^{[note 9]} in northern Calabria, in the Pollino area of the Southern Apennines. This territory was an important center of monastic settlement which is referred to in several of the Vitae as the "New Thebaid",^[5] situated along the Calabrian-Lucanian border. Here they founded a new monastery, probably at Mormanno, living there in asceticism for another seven years.

Once more they left and moved on to Vena (modern Avena, Calabria)^{[note 10]} to continue the spiritual struggle for another ten years. Here they built another monastery, which by the time of Hegumen Christopher's death had more than one-hundred monks in it. Leoluca himself lived the solitary life nearby at Mormanno, Calabria.^[4]

A little later, after the death of Abbot Christopher, Leoluca became abbot of the monastery of Mount Mula.^[1] According to tradition, God granted to him the gift of Wonderworking, and many faithful flocked to him to receive his blessing and be healed.^[1] The Venerable Luke was thought to have healed the sick, exorcized demons, raised paralytics, and guided the lost towards the path of salvation. He prayed without ceasing, and remained out in the cold up to twenty days, in order to intensify his ascetic struggle.^[1]

Departure

It is said that he lived the last days of his life in meditation, fasting and ecstatic raptures. In old age, he called the monks to come to him, and foretold his end. He delegated the responsibility of the position of Hegumen to the monk Theodore, and assigned the priest Euthymios as his assistant.^[1] Having received Holy Communion, the Venerable Luke fell asleep in peace and was buried in the church of the Blessed Theotokos.^[1]

Veneration

News of Leoluca's death spread slowly to Corleone, and it is only in the 13th century that there is evidence of a church dedicated to him in his birthplace. In 1420 there are also references to a Brotherhood of San Leoluca.^[18]

Leoluca's intercession is credited with saving the city of Corleone during an outbreak of the plague of 1575, and he was made the patron saint of that town. In 1624 he was made the patron saint of Vibo Valentia as well.^[19]

In addition, the apparition of Saint Leo Luke and Saint Anthony is credited with preventing a Bourbon invasion of Corleone on 27 May 1860.^[20]

In Vibo Valentia in Calabria, during his feast day on 1 March, the local fire brigade pay him homage by placing a crown of flowers at the feet of his statue which is located high on the façade of the Cathedral Church of Santa Maria Maggiore e San Leoluca, using a turntable ladder to perform the act.

Relics

Some historians assert that Leoluca was buried in Monteleone Calabro, now Vibo Valentia, in Calabria, in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. (i.e. Cathedral Church of Santa Maria Maggiore e San Leoluca).^[18]

However, on Sunday 10 December 2006 the Italian daily newspaper La Sicilia, based in Catania, Sicily, ran a full page story stating that the relics of Leoluca had been found in the municipality of San Gregorio d'Ippona, about 2 km southeast of the city of Vibo Valentia. It stated that they were located in the grotto of the Church of Santa Ruba (La Chiesa di Santa Ruba), and that they were confirmed by paleontological analysis.^[8] According to professor Gregorio Vaianella, the church of Santa Ruba was dedicated to 'Our Lady of Health' (Madonna della Sanità).^[21]^{[note 12]}

Notes

^ Mount Mula, or Monte La Mula (1935 m),^[3] is one of the highest peaks of the Orsomarso mountains, near Cassano.^[4]
^ "The term 'Italo-Greek monasticism' refers to the implantation and history of Byzantine monasticism in Sicily and southern Italy. By the mid 9th c. Sicily was already reputed to be the home of numerous Greek hermits and small gatherings of monks famed for their ascetic experience. Substantial documentary evidence for the presence of Byzantine monks in southern Italy first appears in the 9th and 10th cc. and consists primarily in the lives of the great ascetic saints of this region."^[5]
We ought tentatively to regard it as probable that the saints whose lives have come down to us were really the founders of Greek monasticism in South Italy, and that before their time there were no Greek monasteries in the district. There probably were hermits; but the rise of monasteries does not begin before the end of the ninth century; and the leaders of the monks were Elias Junior (†903), Elias Spelaeotes ("the Cave-Dweller", †c. 960), Lucas of Demena (†984), Vitalis of Castronuovo (†994), and Nilus of Rossano (†1004).^[6]
^ The island of Sicily passed to the Greek Rite during the six years when Constans II made Syracuse his residence and the capital of the Byzantine Empire (i.e. starting between 663AD - 668AD).^[7]
^ After Fr. Gaetani's death in AD 1620, his manuscript of the Lives of Sicilian saints was edited by Fr. Peter Salerno SJ, and published posthumously in 1657.
^ Msgr. Paul Collura also notes that "the essential core of our ancient legends has a substrate that should not be underestimated, and since the Arab domination in Sicily (827–1092) made a clean sweep of all the written documents, sacred and profane, the memory of several Saints has been handed down only on the thread of memory."^[12]
^ The first Arab battle against Byzantine troops occurred on July 15, 827, near Mazara, resulting in an Aghlabid victory. It took over a century for Byzantine Sicily to be conquered. Syracuse held out for a long time, and Taormina fell in 902. Eventually all of Sicily was conquered by the Arabs in 965, and the Emirate of Sicily was formed, an Islamic state on the island of Sicily which existed from 965 to 1072.
^ With the Arab invasion of Sicily (from 827 AD through to 878 AD) many monks left the island and took refuge in Calabria.
^ "Legally monks could not change monasteries, but provincial monks were strikingly mobile. Elias the Younger, sojourning in Sicily, North Africa, the Levant, Greece and Italy was the best travelled of the Italo-Greek monks whose lives are known. But even the least travelled of these saw much of South Italy and usually Sicily as well as Rome. There are numerous examples of monks, singly or in groups, who migrated into greater solitude to escape popularity. Nilos, who died in 1004 left Rossano with all his monks to live amongst the Latins in order to evade the obligations entailed by his fame among the Greeks. When the proximity of Monte Cassino ceased to please him, Nilos again uprooted his community, establishing it first at Serperi and later at Grottaferrata. This individual and communal transience must have undermined the position of the bishops, if not made their control of monasteries virtually impossible."^[16]
^ See: (in Italian) Mercurion. Italian Wikipedia.
^ Avena, formerly an independent village, is now a frazione (municipal subdivision) of Papasidero, a commune in southern Italy.
^ The current church lies on the spot of a former Byzantine cathedral, probably of the ninth century, which was heavily damaged during the earthquakes of 1638 and 1659. In 1680, construction on the new church was begun, based on the designs of Francesco Antonio Curatoli.^[17]
^ Thus confirming his hagiographical account that he was buried in a church of the Blessed Theotokos.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς ὁ ἐκ Σικελίας. 1 Μαρτίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
^ (in Latin) Ottavio Gaetani. Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657.
^ (in Italian) Parco nazionale del Pollino. Italian Wikipedia.
^ ^a ^b Rosemary Morris. Monks and Laymen in Byzantium, 843-1118. Cambridge University Press, 2003. p. 173
^ ^a ^b Robert E. Sinkewicz. "Italo-Greek". In: Richard Barrie Dobson. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Volume 2 (K-Z). Eds.: André Vauchez, Michael Lapidge. Transl: Adrian Walford. Routledge, 2000. p. 974.
^ K. Lake. "The Greek Monasteries in South Italy I." J Theol Studies (1903) os-IV(15): 345-368 doi:10.1093/jts/os-IV.15.345. p. 364.
^ Lynn White Jr. "The Byzantinization of Sicily." The American Historical Review. Vol. 42, No. 1 (Oct., 1936). p. 5.
^ ^a ^b (in Italian) "Trovate le spoglie di San Leoluca." LA SICILIA. DOMENICA 10 DICEMBRE 2006.
^ (in Latin) Ottavio Gaetani. Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis. Tomus Secundus. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657. pp. 80-84.
^ ^a ^b ^c Professor Maria Stelladoro. Leone Luca di Corleone (sec. IX-X) BHL 4842. ITALIA MEDIEVALE (Associazione Culturale Italia Medievale). 11 Aprile 2003.
^ "TESTIMONIUM CORILIONENSIUM DE CULTU ET ACTIS ANTIQUIS. (S. Leo Lucas Corilionensis, Abbas Mulensis in Calabria)." In: ACTA SANCTORUM, MARTII TOMUS PRIMUS. PARISIIS ET ROMÆ APUD VICTOREM PALMÉ, BIBLIOPOLAM. 1865. pp. 98-102.
^ (in Italian) Sant' Oliva di Palermo Vergine e martire. SANTI, BEATI E TESTIMONI. 10 giugno. Retrieved: August 10, 2020.
^ (in Italian) SAN LEOLUCA. Enrosadira.
^ Paul Oldfield. Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000-1200. Cambridge University Press, 2014. p. 45.
^ Paul Oldfield. Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000-1200. Cambridge University Press, 2014. p. 41.
^ Ann Wharton Epstein. "The Problem of Provincialism: Byzantine Monasteries in Cappadocia and Monks in South Italy." Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. Vol. 42 (1979), pp. 44-45.
^ (in Italian) Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore e San Leoluca. Italian Wikipedia.
^ ^a ^b (in Italian) San Leoluca. Italian Wikipedia.
^ (in Italian) Giorgio Leone. I BENI CULTURALI DEL VIBONESE. SITUAZIONE ATTUALE – PROSPETTIVE FUTURE. 27 – 28 – 29 DICEMBRE 1995.
^ Saint Leolucas of Corleone. Saints.SPQN.com. 25 February 2010.
^ (in Italian) Santa Ruba. San Gregorio D'ippona.

Sources

March 1. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
Lynn White Jr. "The Byzantinization of Sicily." The American Historical Review. Vol. 42, No. 1 (Oct., 1936). p. 5.
Rosemary Morris. Monks and Laymen in Byzantium, 843-1118. Cambridge University Press, 2003. 356pp.
Robert E. Sinkewicz. "Italo-Greek". In: Richard Barrie Dobson. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Volume 2 (K-Z). Eds.: André Vauchez, Michael Lapidge. Transl: Adrian Walford. Routledge, 2000. p. 974.
Ann Wharton Epstein. "The Problem of Provincialism: Byzantine Monasteries in Cappadocia and Monks in South Italy." Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. Vol. 42 (1979), pp. 28–46.
Saint Leolucas of Corleone. Saints.SPQN.com. 25 February 2010.
Luke of Sicily. OrthodoxWiki.

In Greek

Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς ὁ ἐκ Σικελίας. 1 Μαρτίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

In Latin

Ottavio Gaetani. Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis. Tomus Secundus. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657. pp. 80–84.
"TESTIMONIUM CORILIONENSIUM DE CULTU ET ACTIS ANTIQUIS. (S. Leo Lucas Corilionensis, Abbas Mulensis in Calabria)." In: ACTA SANCTORUM, MARTII TOMUS PRIMUS. PARISIIS ET ROMÆ APUD VICTOREM PALMÉ, BIBLIOPOLAM. 1865. pp. 98–102.

In Italian

Professor Maria Stelladoro. Leone Luca di Corleone (sec. IX-X) BHL 4842. ITALIA MEDIEVALE (Associazione Culturale Italia Medievale). 11 Aprile 2003.
San Leone Luca (Leoluca) di Corleone. SANTI, BEATI E TESTIMONI.
San Leoluca. Italian Wikipedia.
SAN LEOLUCA. Enrosadira.
Giorgio Leone. I BENI CULTURALI DEL VIBONESE. SITUAZIONE ATTUALE – PROSPETTIVE FUTURE. 27 – 28 – 29 DICEMBRE 1995.
Trovate le spoglie di San Leoluca. LA SICILIA. DOMENICA 10 DICEMBRE 2006.
Santa Ruba. San Gregorio D'ippona.

As of March 21, 2012, this article is derived in whole or in part from Orthodox Wiki. The copyright holder has licensed the content in a manner that permits reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 and GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed. The original text was at "Luke of Sicily"

[5] Mount Mula, or Monte La Mula (1935 m),^[3] is one of the highest peaks of the Orsomarso mountains, near Cassano.^[4]

[8] "The term 'Italo-Greek monasticism' refers to the implantation and history of Byzantine monasticism in Sicily and southern Italy. By the mid 9th c. Sicily was already reputed to be the home of numerous Greek hermits and small gatherings of monks famed for their ascetic experience. Substantial documentary evidence for the presence of Byzantine monks in southern Italy first appears in the 9th and 10th cc. and consists primarily in the lives of the great ascetic saints of this region."^[5]
We ought tentatively to regard it as probable that the saints whose lives have come down to us were really the founders of Greek monasticism in South Italy, and that before their time there were no Greek monasteries in the district. There probably were hermits; but the rise of monasteries does not begin before the end of the ninth century; and the leaders of the monks were Elias Junior (†903), Elias Spelaeotes ("the Cave-Dweller", †c. 960), Lucas of Demena (†984), Vitalis of Castronuovo (†994), and Nilus of Rossano (†1004).^[6]

[10] The island of Sicily passed to the Greek Rite during the six years when Constans II made Syracuse his residence and the capital of the Byzantine Empire (i.e. starting between 663AD - 668AD).^[7]

[13] After Fr. Gaetani's death in AD 1620, his manuscript of the Lives of Sicilian saints was edited by Fr. Peter Salerno SJ, and published posthumously in 1657.

[17] Msgr. Paul Collura also notes that "the essential core of our ancient legends has a substrate that should not be underestimated, and since the Arab domination in Sicily (827–1092) made a clean sweep of all the written documents, sacred and profane, the memory of several Saints has been handed down only on the thread of memory."^[12]

[19] The first Arab battle against Byzantine troops occurred on July 15, 827, near Mazara, resulting in an Aghlabid victory. It took over a century for Byzantine Sicily to be conquered. Syracuse held out for a long time, and Taormina fell in 902. Eventually all of Sicily was conquered by the Arabs in 965, and the Emirate of Sicily was formed, an Islamic state on the island of Sicily which existed from 965 to 1072.

[21] With the Arab invasion of Sicily (from 827 AD through to 878 AD) many monks left the island and took refuge in Calabria.

[24] "Legally monks could not change monasteries, but provincial monks were strikingly mobile. Elias the Younger, sojourning in Sicily, North Africa, the Levant, Greece and Italy was the best travelled of the Italo-Greek monks whose lives are known. But even the least travelled of these saw much of South Italy and usually Sicily as well as Rome. There are numerous examples of monks, singly or in groups, who migrated into greater solitude to escape popularity. Nilos, who died in 1004 left Rossano with all his monks to live amongst the Latins in order to evade the obligations entailed by his fame among the Greeks. When the proximity of Monte Cassino ceased to please him, Nilos again uprooted his community, establishing it first at Serperi and later at Grottaferrata. This individual and communal transience must have undermined the position of the bishops, if not made their control of monasteries virtually impossible."^[16]

[25] See: (in Italian) Mercurion. Italian Wikipedia.

[26] Avena, formerly an independent village, is now a frazione (municipal subdivision) of Papasidero, a commune in southern Italy.

[28] The current church lies on the spot of a former Byzantine cathedral, probably of the ninth century, which was heavily damaged during the earthquakes of 1638 and 1659. In 1680, construction on the new church was begun, based on the designs of Francesco Antonio Curatoli.^[17]

[33] Thus confirming his hagiographical account that he was buried in a church of the Blessed Theotokos.

[SYNAX-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς ὁ ἐκ Σικελίας. 1 Μαρτίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

[2] (in Latin) Ottavio Gaetani. Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657.

[3] (in Italian) Parco nazionale del Pollino. Italian Wikipedia.

[MORRIS-4] Rosemary Morris. Monks and Laymen in Byzantium, 843-1118. Cambridge University Press, 2003. p. 173

[Sinkewicz-6] Robert E. Sinkewicz. "Italo-Greek". In: Richard Barrie Dobson. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Volume 2 (K-Z). Eds.: André Vauchez, Michael Lapidge. Transl: Adrian Walford. Routledge, 2000. p. 974.

[7] K. Lake. "The Greek Monasteries in South Italy I." J Theol Studies (1903) os-IV(15): 345-368 doi:10.1093/jts/os-IV.15.345. p. 364.

[9] Lynn White Jr. "The Byzantinization of Sicily." The American Historical Review. Vol. 42, No. 1 (Oct., 1936). p. 5.

[LA-SICILIA-2006-11] (in Italian) "Trovate le spoglie di San Leoluca." LA SICILIA. DOMENICA 10 DICEMBRE 2006.

[12] (in Latin) Ottavio Gaetani. Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis. Tomus Secundus. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657. pp. 80-84.

[Stelladoro-14] Professor Maria Stelladoro. Leone Luca di Corleone (sec. IX-X) BHL 4842. ITALIA MEDIEVALE (Associazione Culturale Italia Medievale). 11 Aprile 2003.

[15] "TESTIMONIUM CORILIONENSIUM DE CULTU ET ACTIS ANTIQUIS. (S. Leo Lucas Corilionensis, Abbas Mulensis in Calabria)." In: ACTA SANCTORUM, MARTII TOMUS PRIMUS. PARISIIS ET ROMÆ APUD VICTOREM PALMÉ, BIBLIOPOLAM. 1865. pp. 98-102.

[16] (in Italian) Sant' Oliva di Palermo Vergine e martire. SANTI, BEATI E TESTIMONI. 10 giugno. Retrieved: August 10, 2020.

[18] (in Italian) SAN LEOLUCA. Enrosadira.

[20] Paul Oldfield. Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000-1200. Cambridge University Press, 2014. p. 45.

[22] Paul Oldfield. Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000-1200. Cambridge University Press, 2014. p. 41.

[23] Ann Wharton Epstein. "The Problem of Provincialism: Byzantine Monasteries in Cappadocia and Monks in South Italy." Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. Vol. 42 (1979), pp. 44-45.

[27] (in Italian) Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore e San Leoluca. Italian Wikipedia.

[IT-WIKI-29] (in Italian) San Leoluca. Italian Wikipedia.

[30] (in Italian) Giorgio Leone. I BENI CULTURALI DEL VIBONESE. SITUAZIONE ATTUALE – PROSPETTIVE FUTURE. 27 – 28 – 29 DICEMBRE 1995.

[31] Saint Leolucas of Corleone. Saints.SPQN.com. 25 February 2010.

[32] (in Italian) Santa Ruba. San Gregorio D'ippona.

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[17]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic abbot in Calabria (c. 815 – c. 915)}}
 {{Infobox saint
-|name= Saint Leoluca
+|honorific_prefix= Saint
+|name= Leoluca
-|birth_date=~815
+|birth_date= c. 815
-|death_date= ~915
+|death_date= c. 915
 |feast_day= 1 March
 |venerated_in= [[Roman Catholic Church]]<br>[[Eastern Orthodox Church]]<ref name=SYNAX>Great [[Synaxarium|Synaxaristes]]: {{in lang|el}} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/2300/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς ὁ ἐκ Σικελίας].'' 1 Μαρτίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.</ref>
@@ Line 11: / Line 13: @@
 |death_place=
 |titles= Abbot
 |beatified_date=
 |beatified_place=
 |beatified_by=
 |canonized_date=
 |canonized_place=
 |canonized_by=
 |attributes=
 |patronage= [[Corleone]], Sicily;<br>[[Vibo Valentia]], Calabria
 |major_shrine= San Leoluca Church, Corleone
 |suppressed_date=
 |issues=
 }}
-Saint '''Leoluca''', also '''Leone Luca''', '''Leo Luke of Corleone''', or '''Luke of Sicily'''<ref name="SYNAX"/> (c. 815 – c. 915)<ref>{{in lang|la}} [[:it:Ottavio Gaetani|Ottavio Gaetani]]. ''[https://books.google.ca/books?id=XIqn3hxotwwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Vitae+Sanctorum+Siculorum&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjjt_3h_MPjAhUGhOAKHW-fCBoQ6AEIOjAC#v=onepage&q=Corilion&f=false Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis].'' Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657.</ref> was the [[Abbot]] and [[Wonderworker]] of the Monastery of Mount Mula in [[Calabria]],{{#tag:ref|''Mount Mula'', or ''Monte La Mula'' (1935 m),<ref>{{in lang|it}} ''[[:it:Parco nazionale del Pollino|Parco nazionale del Pollino]].'' Italian Wikipedia.</ref> is one of the highest peaks of the Orsomarso mountains , near [[Cassano allo Ionio|Cassano]].<ref name=MORRIS>Rosemary Morris. ''Monks and Laymen in Byzantium, 843-1118.'' Cambridge University Press, 2003. p.&nbsp;173</ref>|group=note}} and a founder of Italo-Greek monasticism in southern Italy.{{#tag:ref|"The term 'Italo-Greek monasticism' refers to the implantation and history of [[Eastern Christian monasticism#Byzantine monasticism|Byzantine monasticism]] in Sicily and southern Italy. By the mid 9th c. Sicily was already reputed to be the home of numerous Greek [[hermit]]s and small gatherings of monks famed for their ascetic experience. Substantial documentary evidence for the presence of Byzantine monks in southern Italy first appears in the 9th and 10th cc. and consists primarily in the lives of the great ascetic saints of this region."<ref name=Sinkewicz>Robert E. Sinkewicz. "Italo-Greek". In: Richard Barrie Dobson. ''Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Volume 2 (K-Z)''. Eds.: André Vauchez, Michael Lapidge. Transl: Adrian Walford. Routledge, 2000. p.&nbsp;974.</ref><br>We ought tentatively to regard it as probable that the saints whose lives have come down to us were really the founders of [[Eastern Christian monasticism|Greek monasticism]] in South Italy, and that before their time there were no Greek monasteries in the district. There probably were hermits; but the rise of monasteries does not begin before the end of the ninth century; and the leaders of the monks were [[Elias of Enna|Elias Junior]] (†903), Elias Spelaeotes ("the Cave-Dweller", †c. 960) , Lucas of Demena (†984), Vitalis of Castronuovo (†994), and [[Nilus the Younger|Nilus of Rossano]] (†1004).<ref>[[Kirsopp Lake|K. Lake]]. "The Greek Monasteries in South Italy I." ''[[The Journal of Theological Studies|J Theol Studies]]'' (1903) os-IV(15): 345-368 doi:10.1093/jts/os-IV.15.345. p.&nbsp;364.</ref>|group=note}} He is venerated as a [[saint]] in the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] churches.
+'''Leoluca''', also '''Leone Luca''', '''Leo Luke of Corleone''', '''Saint Leoluca''', or '''Luke of Sicily'''<ref name="SYNAX"/> (c. 815 – c. 915)<ref>{{in lang|la}} [[:it:Ottavio Gaetani|Ottavio Gaetani]]. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=XIqn3hxotwwC&q=Corilion Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis].'' Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657.</ref> was the [[abbot]] and [[wonderworker]] of the monastery of Mount Mula in [[Calabria]],{{#tag:ref|''Mount Mula'', or ''Monte La Mula'' (1935 m),<ref>{{in lang|it}} ''[[:it:Parco nazionale del Pollino|Parco nazionale del Pollino]].'' Italian Wikipedia.</ref> is one of the highest peaks of the Orsomarso mountains, near [[Cassano allo Ionio|Cassano]].<ref name=MORRIS>Rosemary Morris. ''Monks and Laymen in Byzantium, 843-1118.'' Cambridge University Press, 2003. p.&nbsp;173</ref>|group=note}} and a founder of Italo-Greek monasticism in southern Italy.{{#tag:ref|"The term 'Italo-Greek monasticism' refers to the implantation and history of [[Eastern Christian monasticism#Byzantine monasticism|Byzantine monasticism]] in Sicily and southern Italy. By the mid 9th c. Sicily was already reputed to be the home of numerous Greek [[hermit]]s and small gatherings of monks famed for their ascetic experience. Substantial documentary evidence for the presence of Byzantine monks in southern Italy first appears in the 9th and 10th cc. and consists primarily in the lives of the great ascetic saints of this region."<ref name=Sinkewicz>Robert E. Sinkewicz. "Italo-Greek". In: Richard Barrie Dobson. ''Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Volume 2 (K-Z)''. Eds.: André Vauchez, Michael Lapidge. Transl: Adrian Walford. Routledge, 2000. p.&nbsp;974.</ref><br>We ought tentatively to regard it as probable that the saints whose lives have come down to us were really the founders of [[Eastern Christian monasticism|Greek monasticism]] in South Italy, and that before their time there were no Greek monasteries in the district. There probably were hermits; but the rise of monasteries does not begin before the end of the ninth century; and the leaders of the monks were [[Elias of Enna|Elias Junior]] (†903), Elias Spelaeotes ("the Cave-Dweller", †c. 960), Lucas of Demena (†984), Vitalis of Castronuovo (†994), and [[Nilus the Younger|Nilus of Rossano]] (†1004).<ref>[[Kirsopp Lake|K. Lake]]. "The Greek Monasteries in South Italy I." ''[[The Journal of Theological Studies|J Theol Studies]]'' (1903) os-IV(15): 345-368 doi:10.1093/jts/os-IV.15.345. p.&nbsp;364.</ref>|group=note}} He is venerated as a [[saint]] in the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] churches.
 Born in the [[Sicily|Sicilian]] town of [[Corleone]], he died about a hundred years later, after eighty years of [[Basilian monk|monastic life]],{{#tag:ref|The island of Sicily passed to the [[Byzantine Rite|Greek Rite]] during the six years when [[Constans II]] made [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] his residence and the capital of the [[Byzantine Empire]] (i.e. starting between 663AD - 668AD).<ref>Lynn White Jr. "The Byzantinization of Sicily." ''The American Historical Review.'' Vol. 42, No. 1 (Oct., 1936). p.&nbsp;5.</ref>|group=note}} in Monteleone Calabro, now [[Vibo Valentia]] in [[Calabria]]. Today he is a [[patron saint]] of both towns, and his [[feast day]] is celebrated on 1 March.
+In 2006 Leoluca's [[Relics#Christianity|relics]] were found in the municipality of [[San Gregorio d'Ippona]], about 2&nbsp;km southeast of the city of [[Vibo Valentia]].<ref name=LA-SICILIA-2006>{{in lang|it}} "[http://www.italiamedievale.org/sito_acim/contributi/sanleoluca4.pdf Trovate le spoglie di San Leoluca]." ''LA SICILIA.'' DOMENICA 10 DICEMBRE 2006.</ref>
 ==Hagiographic sources==
+The text of the ''Life'' of Leo Luke of Corleone was published in 1657 in the Sicilian martyrology of [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] [[Ottavio Gaetani]] (''"Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum"'').<ref>{{in lang|la}} [[:it:Ottavio Gaetani|Ottavio Gaetani]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_dd_ulVMWY30C/page/n97 Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis].'' Tomus Secundus. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657. pp.&nbsp;80-84.</ref>{{#tag:ref|After Fr. Gaetani's death in AD 1620, his manuscript of the Lives of Sicilian saints was edited by Fr. Peter Salerno SJ, and published posthumously in 1657.|group=note}} He was said to have derived it from three manuscripts discovered in Sicily: one from [[Palermo]], another from [[Mazara del Vallo|Mazara]] and a third from [[Corleone]].<ref name=Stelladoro>Professor Maria Stelladoro. ''[http://www.italiamedievale.org/portale/leone-luca-corleone-sec-ix-x-bhl-4842/?lang=it Leone Luca di Corleone (sec. IX-X) BHL 4842].'' ITALIA MEDIEVALE (Associazione Culturale Italia Medievale). 11 Aprile 2003.</ref>
-The text of the ''Life'' of Leo Luke of Corleone was published in 1657 in the Sicilian martyrology of [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] [[:it:Ottavio Gaetani|Ottavio Gaetani]]
-(''"Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum"'').<ref>{{in lang|la}} [[:it:Ottavio Gaetani|Ottavio Gaetani]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_dd_ulVMWY30C/page/n97 Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis].'' Tomus Secundus. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657. pp.&nbsp;80-84.</ref>{{#tag:ref|After Fr. Gaetani's death in AD 1620, his manuscript of the Lives of Sicilian saints was edited by Fr. Peter Salerno SJ, and published posthumously in 1657.|group=note}} He was said to have derived it from three manuscripts discovered in Sicily: one from [[Palermo]], another from [[Mazara del Vallo|Mazara]] and a third from [[Corleone]].<ref name=Stelladoro>Professor Maria Stelladoro. ''[http://www.italiamedievale.org/portale/leone-luca-corleone-sec-ix-x-bhl-4842/?lang=it Leone Luca di Corleone (sec. IX-X) BHL 4842].'' ITALIA MEDIEVALE (Associazione Culturale Italia Medievale). 11 Aprile 2003.</ref>
-Later, the [[Bollandist]]s published another ''Life'', in Latin,<ref>"TESTIMONIUM CORILIONENSIUM DE CULTU ET ACTIS ANTIQUIS. (S. Leo Lucas Corilionensis, Abbas Mulensis in Calabria)." In: ''[https://books.google.ca/books?id=5lVCAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=TESTIMOMUM+CORILIONENSIUM&source=bl&ots=QO8VCdbsQV&sig=ACfU3U3C50pJlZ7eeh5H4Jy4xvnTA8Xrcw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih5tqE0r_jAhXlUN8KHYetDXgQ6AEwAH ACTA SANCTORUM, MARTII TOMUS PRIMUS].'' PARISIIS ET ROMÆ APUD VICTOREM PALMÉ, BIBLIOPOLAM. 1865. pp.&nbsp;98-102.</ref> found in the library of [[José de Acosta|Joseph Acosta]].<ref name=Stelladoro/>
+Later, the [[Bollandist]]s published another ''Life'', in Latin,<ref>"TESTIMONIUM CORILIONENSIUM DE CULTU ET ACTIS ANTIQUIS. (S. Leo Lucas Corilionensis, Abbas Mulensis in Calabria)." In: ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=5lVCAQAAIAAJ&dq=TESTIMOMUM+CORILIONENSIUM&pg=PA98 ACTA SANCTORUM, MARTII TOMUS PRIMUS].'' PARISIIS ET ROMÆ APUD VICTOREM PALMÉ, BIBLIOPOLAM. 1865. pp.&nbsp;98-102.</ref> found in the library of [[José de Acosta|Joseph Acosta]].<ref name=Stelladoro/>
-None of the Latin manuscripts of the hagiography of Leo Luke refer to an original Greek source. However the presence of Greek anthroponyms (such as Leone, Teotiste, Christopher, Teodoro, Eutimio) may postulate an original source in Greek. The hagiography was likely composed immediately after the death of the saint in Calabria, but may have been passed down orally and then in writing at a later date and in another place.<ref name=Stelladoro/>
+None of the Latin manuscripts of the hagiography of Leo Luke refer to an original Greek source. However the presence of Greek anthroponyms (such as Leone, Teotiste, Christopher, Teodoro, Eutimio) may postulate an original source in Greek. The hagiography was likely composed immediately after the death of Leoluca in Calabria, but may have been passed down orally and then in writing at a later date and in another place.<ref name=Stelladoro/>{{#tag:ref|[[Monsignor|Msgr]]. Paul Collura also notes that "the essential core of our ancient legends has a substrate that should not be underestimated, and since the [[Emirate of Sicily|Arab domination in Sicily]] (827–1092) made a clean sweep of all the written documents, sacred and profane, the memory of several Saints has been handed down only on the thread of memory."<ref>{{in lang|it}} ''[http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/96417 Sant' Oliva di Palermo Vergine e martire].'' SANTI, BEATI E TESTIMONI. 10 giugno. Retrieved: August 10, 2020.</ref>|group=note}}
 ==Life==
@@ Line 40: / Line 44: @@
 ===In Sicily===
-Saint Luke was born in [[Corleone]], Sicily in the 9th century AD (c.815 to 818 AD),<ref>{{in lang|it}} ''[http://www.enrosadira.it/santi/l/leoluca.htm SAN LEOLUCA].'' Enrosadira.</ref> on the eve of the Saracen invasion of Sicily.{{#tag:ref|The first Arab battle against Byzantine troops occurred on July 15, 827, near [[Mazara del Vallo|Mazara]], resulting in an Aghlabid victory. It took over a century for Byzantine Sicily to be conquered. Syracuse held out for a long time, and Taormina fell in 902. Eventually all of Sicily was conquered by the Arabs in 965, and the [[Emirate of Sicily]] was formed, an Islamic state on the island of Sicily which existed from 965 to 1072.|group=note}} His parents Leo and Theoktiste [[Baptism|baptized]] him Leo, in honour of his father. They were a pious and wealthy family who raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.<ref name="SYNAX"/> He was orphaned at an early age when his parents died, and devoted himself to managing the estate and supervising the herds as a shepherd. In the solitude of the fields he realized that he had a call to religious life, so he sold the estate, gave the money to the poor, and went to the monastery of St. [[Philip of Agira|Philip]] in [[Agira]], in the province of [[Enna]], Sicily.<ref name="SYNAX"/>
+Leoluca was born in [[Corleone]], Sicily in the 9th century AD (c.815 to 818 AD),<ref>{{in lang|it}} ''[http://www.enrosadira.it/santi/l/leoluca.htm SAN LEOLUCA].'' Enrosadira.</ref> on the eve of the Saracen invasion of Sicily.{{#tag:ref|The first Arab battle against Byzantine troops occurred on July 15, 827, near [[Mazara del Vallo|Mazara]], resulting in an Aghlabid victory. It took over a century for Byzantine Sicily to be conquered. Syracuse held out for a long time, and Taormina fell in 902. Eventually all of Sicily was conquered by the Arabs in 965, and the [[Emirate of Sicily]] was formed, an Islamic state on the island of Sicily which existed from 965 to 1072.|group=note}} His parents Leo and Theoktiste [[Baptism|baptized]] him Leo, in honour of his father. They were a pious and wealthy family who raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.<ref name="SYNAX"/> He was orphaned at an early age when his parents died, and devoted himself to managing the estate and supervising the herds as a shepherd. In the solitude of the fields he realized that he had a call to religious life, so he sold the estate, gave the money to the poor, and went to the monastery of St. [[Philip of Agira|Philip]] in [[Agira]], in the province of [[Enna]], Sicily.<ref name="SYNAX"/>
-It is not known how long he stayed at the monastery at [[Agira]], but due to the raids of the Saracens, he left from there and went to Calabria.<ref>Paul Oldfield. ''[https://books.google.ca/books?id=rh9GAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000-1200].'' Cambridge University Press, 2014. p.&nbsp;45.</ref>{{#tag:ref|With the Arab invasion of Sicily (from 827 AD through to 878 AD) many monks left the island and took refuge in Calabria.|group=note}} Before going to Calabria however, he made a special point of going on [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] to visit the tombs of [[Saint Peter]] and [[Paul the Apostle|Saint Paul]] in Rome.<ref>Paul Oldfield. ''[https://books.google.ca/books?id=rh9GAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000-1200].'' Cambridge University Press, 2014. p.&nbsp;41.</ref>{{#tag:ref|"Legally monks could not change monasteries, but provincial monks were strikingly mobile. Elias the Younger, sojourning in Sicily, North Africa, the Levant, Greece and Italy was the best travelled of the Italo-Greek monks whose lives are known. But even the least travelled of these saw much of South Italy and usually Sicily as well as Rome. There are numerous examples of monks, singly or in groups, who migrated into greater solitude to escape popularity. [[Nilus the Younger|Nilos]], who died in 1004 left [[Rossano]] with all his monks to live amongst the Latins in order to evade the obligations entailed by his fame among the Greeks. When the proximity of [[Monte Cassino]] ceased to please him, Nilos again uprooted his community, establishing it first at Serperi and later at [[Grottaferrata]]. This individual and communal transience must have undermined the position of the bishops, if not made their control of monasteries virtually impossible."<ref>Ann Wharton Epstein. "The Problem of Provincialism: Byzantine Monasteries in Cappadocia and Monks in South Italy." ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes''. Vol. 42 (1979), pp.&nbsp;44-45.</ref>|group=note}}
+It is not known how long he stayed at the monastery at [[Agira]], but due to the raids of the Saracens, he left from there and went to Calabria.<ref>Paul Oldfield. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=rh9GAwAAQBAJ Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000-1200].'' Cambridge University Press, 2014. p.&nbsp;45.</ref>{{#tag:ref|With the Arab invasion of Sicily (from 827 AD through to 878 AD) many monks left the island and took refuge in Calabria.|group=note}} Before going to Calabria however, he made a special point of going on [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] to visit the tombs of [[Saint Peter]] and [[Paul the Apostle]] in Rome.<ref>Paul Oldfield. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=rh9GAwAAQBAJ Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000-1200].'' Cambridge University Press, 2014. p.&nbsp;41.</ref>{{#tag:ref|"Legally monks could not change monasteries, but provincial monks were strikingly mobile. Elias the Younger, sojourning in Sicily, North Africa, the Levant, Greece and Italy was the best travelled of the Italo-Greek monks whose lives are known. But even the least travelled of these saw much of South Italy and usually Sicily as well as Rome. There are numerous examples of monks, singly or in groups, who migrated into greater solitude to escape popularity. [[Nilus the Younger|Nilos]], who died in 1004 left [[Rossano]] with all his monks to live amongst the Latins in order to evade the obligations entailed by his fame among the Greeks. When the proximity of [[Monte Cassino]] ceased to please him, Nilos again uprooted his community, establishing it first at Serperi and later at [[Grottaferrata]]. This individual and communal transience must have undermined the position of the bishops, if not made their control of monasteries virtually impossible."<ref>Ann Wharton Epstein. "The Problem of Provincialism: Byzantine Monasteries in Cappadocia and Monks in South Italy." ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes''. Vol. 42 (1979), pp.&nbsp;44-45.</ref>|group=note}}
+[[File:Monte La Mula innevato da Grisolia.jpg|right|thumb|The snow capped Monte La Mula, seen from [[Grisolia]].]]
 ===In Calabria===
+[[File:Anachronistic map of Mercurion and Latinion.png|right|thumb|Anachronistic map representing the two territories of [[:it:Mercurion|Mercurion]] and Latinion, in the [[Lucania (theme)|Theme of Lucania]].]]
+In Calabria, he went to the Monastery of Mula, at Mount Mula (''Monte La Mula ''), one of the highest peaks of the [[:it:Monti di Orsomarso|Orsomarso mountains]] (1935 m). Here he became a monk, excelling in the virtues and in [[Vow of obedience|obedience]], remaining there for six years.<ref name="SYNAX"/>
+Afterwards he departed together with the [[Hegumen]] of the monastery Christopher, and they made their way to the mountainous region of Merkourion{{#tag:ref|See: {{in lang|it}} ''[[:it:Mercurion|Mercurion]].'' Italian Wikipedia.|group=note}} in northern Calabria, in the [[Pollino]] area of the Southern Apennines. This territory was an important center of monastic settlement which is referred to in several of the ''Vitae'' as the "New [[Thebaid]]",<ref name="Sinkewicz"/> situated along the [[Lucania (theme)|Calabrian-Lucanian border]]. Here they founded a new monastery, probably at [[Mormanno]], living there in [[Asceticism#Christianity|asceticism]] for another seven years.
-In Calabria, he went to the Monastery of Mula, at Mount Mula (''Monte La Mula ''), one of the highest peaks of the Orsomarso mountains (1935 m), near [[w:Cassano allo Ionio|Cassano]]. Here he became a monk, excelling in the virtues and in [[Vow of obedience|obedience]], remaining there for six years.<ref name="SYNAX"/>
-Afterwards he departed together with the [[Hegumen]] of the monastery Christopher, and they made their way to the mountainous region of Merkourion{{#tag:ref|See: {{in lang|it}} ''[[:it:Mercurion|Mercurion]].'' Italian Wikipedia.|group=note}} in northern Calabria, in the [[Pollino]] area of the Southern Apennines, an important center of monastic settlement which is referred to in several of the ''Vitae'' as the "New [[Thebaid]]".<ref name="Sinkewicz"/> Here they founded a new monastery, living there in [[Asceticism#Christianity|asceticism]] for another seven years.
-Once more they left and moved on to Vena (modern Avena, Calabria) to continue the spiritual struggle for another ten years. Here they built another monastery, which by the time of [[Hegumen]] Christopher's death had more than one-hundred monks in it. Saint Luke himself lived the [[Hermit|solitary life]] nearby at [[Mormanno]], Calabria.<ref name="MORRIS"/>
+Once more they left and moved on to Vena (modern Avena, Calabria){{#tag:ref|Avena, formerly an independent village, is now a frazione (municipal subdivision) of [[Papasidero]], a commune in southern Italy.|group=note}} to continue the spiritual struggle for another ten years. Here they built another monastery, which by the time of [[Hegumen]] Christopher's death had more than one-hundred monks in it. Leoluca himself lived the [[Hermit|solitary life]] nearby at [[Mormanno]], Calabria.<ref name="MORRIS"/>
-A little later, after the death of Abbot Christopher, Saint Luke became Abbot of the Monastery of Mount Mula. According to legend, [[God]] granted to him the gift of [[Thaumaturgy|Wonderworking]], and many faithful flocked to him to receive his [[Blessing#Christianity|blessing]] and be healed.<ref name="SYNAX"/> The Venerable Luke was thought to have healed the sick, [[Exorcism in Christianity|exorcized]] demons, raised paralytics, and guided the lost towards the path of [[Salvation (Christianity)|salvation]]. He [[Prayer, meditation and contemplation in Christianity|prayed]] without ceasing, and remained out in the cold up to twenty days, in order to intensify his ascetic struggle.<ref name="SYNAX"/>
+A little later, after the death of Abbot Christopher, Leoluca became abbot of the monastery of Mount Mula.<ref name="SYNAX"/> According to tradition, [[God]] granted to him the gift of [[Thaumaturgy|Wonderworking]], and many faithful flocked to him to receive his [[Blessing#Christianity|blessing]] and be healed.<ref name="SYNAX"/> The Venerable Luke was thought to have healed the sick, [[Exorcism in Christianity|exorcized]] demons, raised paralytics, and guided the lost towards the path of [[Salvation (Christianity)|salvation]]. He [[Christian prayer|prayed]] without ceasing, and remained out in the cold up to twenty days, in order to intensify his ascetic struggle.<ref name="SYNAX"/>
 ===Departure===
-It is said that he lived the last days of his life in [[Christian meditation|meditation]], [[fasting]] and [[Religious ecstasy|ecstatic raptures]]. In old age, he called the monks to come to him, and foretold his end. He delegated the responsibility of the position of Hegumen to the monk Theodore, and assigned the priest Euthymios as his assistant.<ref name="SYNAX"/> Having received [[Holy Communion]], the Venerable Luke fell asleep in peace and was buried in the church of the Blessed [[Theotokos]].<ref name="SYNAX"/>
+It is said that he lived the last days of his life in [[Christian meditation|meditation]], [[fasting]] and [[Religious ecstasy|ecstatic raptures]]. In old age, he called the monks to come to him, and foretold his end. He delegated the responsibility of the position of [[Hegumen]] to the monk Theodore, and assigned the priest Euthymios as his assistant.<ref name="SYNAX"/> Having received [[Holy Communion]], the Venerable Luke fell asleep in peace and was buried in the church of the Blessed [[Theotokos]].<ref name="SYNAX"/>
 ==Veneration==
@@ Line 62: / Line 66: @@
 [[File:Duomo Santa Maria Maggiore - Vibo Valentia - Calabria - Italy - July 21st 2013 - 03.jpg|right|thumb|The cathedral of ''Santa Maria Maggiore and San Leoluca'', in [[Vibo Valentia]].{{#tag:ref|The current church lies on the spot of a former [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine cathedral]], probably of the ninth century, which was heavily damaged during the earthquakes of 1638 and 1659. In 1680, construction on the new church was begun, based on the designs of Francesco Antonio Curatoli.<ref>{{in lang|it}} [[:it:Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore e San Leoluca|Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore e San Leoluca]]. Italian Wikipedia.</ref>|group=note}}]]
-News of Saint Luke's death spread slowly to [[Corleone]], and it is only in the 13th century that there is evidence of a church dedicated to him in his birthplace. In 1420 there are also references to a ''Brotherhood of San Leoluca''.<ref name=IT-WIKI>{{in lang|it}} ''[[:it:San Leoluca|San Leoluca]].'' Italian Wikipedia.</ref>
+News of Leoluca's death spread slowly to [[Corleone]], and it is only in the 13th century that there is evidence of a church dedicated to him in his birthplace. In 1420 there are also references to a ''Brotherhood of San Leoluca''.<ref name=IT-WIKI>{{in lang|it}} ''[[:it:San Leoluca|San Leoluca]].'' Italian Wikipedia.</ref>
-Saint Luke's intercession is credited with saving the city of Corleone during an outbreak of the plague of 1575, and he was made the patron saint of that town. In 1624 he was made the [[patron saint]] of [[Vibo Valentia]] as well.<ref>{{in lang|it}} Giorgio Leone. ''I BENI CULTURALI DEL VIBONESE. SITUAZIONE ATTUALE – PROSPETTIVE FUTURE.'' 27 – 28 – 29 DICEMBRE 1995.</ref>
+Leoluca's intercession is credited with saving the city of Corleone during an outbreak of the plague of 1575, and he was made the patron saint of that town. In 1624 he was made the [[patron saint]] of [[Vibo Valentia]] as well.<ref>{{in lang|it}} Giorgio Leone. ''I BENI CULTURALI DEL VIBONESE. SITUAZIONE ATTUALE – PROSPETTIVE FUTURE.'' 27 – 28 – 29 DICEMBRE 1995.</ref>
 In addition, the apparition of Saint Leo Luke and Saint Anthony is credited with preventing a Bourbon invasion of Corleone on 27 May 1860.<ref>''[http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-leolucas-of-corleone/ Saint Leolucas of Corleone].'' Saints.SPQN.com. 25 February 2010.</ref>
@@ Line 71: / Line 75: @@
 ===Relics===
+Some historians assert that Leoluca was buried in Monteleone Calabro, now [[Vibo Valentia]], in Calabria, in the church of ''Santa Maria Maggiore.'' (i.e. Cathedral Church of ''Santa Maria Maggiore e San Leoluca'').<ref name="IT-WIKI"/>
+However, on Sunday 10 December 2006 the Italian daily newspaper ''[[La Sicilia]]'', based in Catania, Sicily, ran a full page story stating that the [[Relics#Christianity|relics]] of Leoluca had been found in the municipality of [[San Gregorio d'Ippona]], about 2&nbsp;km southeast of the city of [[Vibo Valentia]]. It stated that they were located in the grotto of the Church of Santa Ruba (''La Chiesa di Santa Ruba''), and that they were confirmed by paleontological analysis.<ref name=LA-SICILIA-2006/> According to professor Gregorio Vaianella, the church of Santa Ruba was dedicated to 'Our Lady of Health' (''Madonna della Sanità'').<ref>{{in lang|it}} ''[http://www.sangregoriodippona.com/santa_ruba.html Santa Ruba].'' San Gregorio D'ippona.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Thus confirming his hagiographical account that he was buried in a church of the Blessed [[Theotokos]].|group=note}}
-Some historians assert that Saint Luke was buried in Monteleone Calabro, now [[Vibo Valentia]], in Calabria, in the church of ''Santa Maria Maggiore.'' (i.e. Cathedral Church of ''Santa Maria Maggiore e San Leoluca'').<ref name="IT-WIKI"/>
-However, on Sunday 10 December 2006 the Italian daily newspaper ''[[La Sicilia]]'', based in Catania, Sicily, ran a full page story stating that the [[Relics#Christianity|relics]] of Saint Leoluca had been found in the municipality of [[San Gregorio d'Ippona]], about 2&nbsp;km southeast of the city of [[Vibo Valentia]]. It stated that they were located in the grotto of the Church of Santa Ruba (''La Chiesa di Santa Ruba''), and that they were confirmed by paleontological analysis.<ref>{{in lang|it}} "[http://www.cittanuove-corleone.it/La%20Sicilia,%20Trovate%20le%20spoglie%20di%20S.%20Leoluca,%2010.12.2006.pdf Trovate le spoglie di San Leoluca]." ''LA SICILIA.'' DOMENICA 10 DICEMBRE 2006.</ref> According to professor Gregorio Vaianella, the church of Santa Ruba was dedicated to 'Our Lady of Health' (''Madonna della Sanità'').<ref>{{in lang|it}} ''[http://www.sangregoriodippona.com/santa_ruba.html Santa Ruba].'' San Gregorio D'ippona.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Thus confirming the hagiographical account in the ''Great Synaxaristes'', that he was buried in a church of the Blessed [[Theotokos]].|group=note}}
 ==See also==
@@ Line 83: / Line 86: @@
 ==Notes==
+[[File:Vibo Valentia - Statua S. Leoluca.jpg|thumb|Vibo Valentia]]
 {{reflist|group=note}}
@@ Line 96: / Line 100: @@
 * ''[http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-leolucas-of-corleone/ Saint Leolucas of Corleone].'' Saints.SPQN.com. 25 February 2010.
 * ''[[orthodoxwiki:Luke of Sicily|Luke of Sicily]].'' OrthodoxWiki.
 ===In Greek===
 * Great [[Synaxarium|Synaxaristes]]: ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/2300/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς ὁ ἐκ Σικελίας].'' 1 Μαρτίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
 ===In Latin===
-* [[:it:Ottavio Gaetani|Ottavio Gaetani]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_dd_ulVMWY30C/page/n97 Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis].'' Tomus Secundus. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657. pp. 80-84.
+* [[:it:Ottavio Gaetani|Ottavio Gaetani]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_dd_ulVMWY30C/page/n97 Vitae Sanctorum Siculorum ex antiquis Graecis Latinisque monumentis].'' Tomus Secundus. Gesuiti : Preposto generale, Gesuiti : Collegio Romano. 1657. pp. 80–84.
-* "TESTIMONIUM CORILIONENSIUM DE CULTU ET ACTIS ANTIQUIS. (S. Leo Lucas Corilionensis, Abbas Mulensis in Calabria)." In: ''[https://books.google.ca/books?id=5lVCAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=TESTIMOMUM+CORILIONENSIUM&source=bl&ots=QO8VCdbsQV&sig=ACfU3U3C50pJlZ7eeh5H4Jy4xvnTA8Xrcw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih5tqE0r_jAhXlUN8KHYetDXgQ6AEwAH ACTA SANCTORUM, MARTII TOMUS PRIMUS].'' PARISIIS ET ROMÆ APUD VICTOREM PALMÉ, BIBLIOPOLAM. 1865. pp. 98-102.
+* "TESTIMONIUM CORILIONENSIUM DE CULTU ET ACTIS ANTIQUIS. (S. Leo Lucas Corilionensis, Abbas Mulensis in Calabria)." In: ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=5lVCAQAAIAAJ&dq=TESTIMOMUM+CORILIONENSIUM&pg=PA98 ACTA SANCTORUM, MARTII TOMUS PRIMUS].'' PARISIIS ET ROMÆ APUD VICTOREM PALMÉ, BIBLIOPOLAM. 1865. pp. 98–102.
 ===In Italian===
 * Professor Maria Stelladoro. ''[http://www.italiamedievale.org/portale/leone-luca-corleone-sec-ix-x-bhl-4842/?lang=it Leone Luca di Corleone (sec. IX-X) BHL 4842].'' ITALIA MEDIEVALE (Associazione Culturale Italia Medievale). 11 Aprile 2003.
@@ Line 107: / Line 114: @@
 * ''[http://www.enrosadira.it/santi/l/leoluca.htm SAN LEOLUCA].'' Enrosadira.
 * Giorgio Leone. ''I BENI CULTURALI DEL VIBONESE. SITUAZIONE ATTUALE – PROSPETTIVE FUTURE.'' 27 – 28 – 29 DICEMBRE 1995.
-* ''[http://www.cittanuove-corleone.it/La%20Sicilia,%20Trovate%20le%20spoglie%20di%20S.%20Leoluca,%2010.12.2006.pdf Trovate le spoglie di San Leoluca].'' LA SICILIA. DOMENICA 10 DICEMBRE 2006.
+* ''[http://www.italiamedievale.org/sito_acim/contributi/sanleoluca4.pdf Trovate le spoglie di San Leoluca].'' LA SICILIA. DOMENICA 10 DICEMBRE 2006.
 * ''[http://www.sangregoriodippona.com/santa_ruba.html Santa Ruba].'' San Gregorio D'ippona.
@@ Line 115: / Line 122: @@
 {{Dual|source=Orthodox Wiki|sourcepath=http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Luke_of_Sicily=108152&oldid=108151|sourcearticle=Luke of Sicily|date=March 21, 2012}}
-{{authority control}}
+{{Authority control}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Leoluca}}
-[[Category:815 births]]
-[[Category:915 deaths]]
+[[Category:810s births]]
+[[Category:910s deaths]]
 [[Category:9th-century Byzantine monks]]
 [[Category:10th-century Byzantine monks]]
 [[Category:10th-century Christian saints]]
-[[Category:Ascetics]]
+[[Category:Basilian saints]]
 [[Category:Byzantine abbots]]
 [[Category:Byzantine saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church]]
@@ Line 130: / Line 138: @@
 [[Category:Medieval Italian saints]]
 [[Category:People from Corleone]]
-[[Category:Province of Vibo Valentia]]
+[[Category:People from the Province of Vibo Valentia]]
+[[Category:Religious leaders from the Metropolitan City of Palermo]]
 [[Category:Sicilian Christian monks]]
 [[Category:Sicilian saints]]
-[[Category:Basilian saints]]
+[[Category:Miracle workers]]
-[[Category:Wonderworkers]]
+[[Category:Men centenarians]]

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